Friday, January 31, 2014 - over 34,000 views since September:

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE NEWS!
IB students lead by Mr. Adams and Mrs. Boss recently traveled to Wakodahatchee Wetlands to do a research lab trip. The students were examining bird species diversity and how it was affected by habitat/vegetation type. If you recall, it was 40 degrees Friday morning. The students braved the cold for the love of science! The cold, as it turns out, worked in their favor. Many of the birds prefer the cooler weather, which warmed up to 65 that day. The reptiles were out in hoards trying to bask in the sun. Gators, turtles, and even a water moccasin were spotted. As for birds, students witnessed mother cormorants and anhingas feeding their chicks in nests not too far from the boardwalk. Students even had the chance to see rare, threatened, and endangered birds such as the Black-crowned night heron, Wood stork, American bittern, and Purple galinulle. The students that attended the trip are taking the IB Environmental Systems and Societies course at G-Star, it focuses on human impact on our ecosystems and how we can better protect them for future generations. The students thoroughly enjoyed the trip, it was a great experience for all.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

JANUARY 29, 2014

- Attention – All ECO Club members there will be a mandatory meeting Tuesday during lunch – Dress to impress for our yearbook picture.

- This upcoming Tuesday, January 28, 2014. It is the first ever meeting of the G-Star Movie Club. Join us in the newly-renovated Screening Room on the northeast corner of Studio B for a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s cerebral masterpiece Vertigo. It’s a movie starring Jimmy Stewart as a private eye who becomes dangerously obsessed with a mysterious woman. Recently voted the greatest film of all time in the 2012 Sight and Sound critics poll, this is a screening you do not want to miss.

- Attention X-Scream team. Our first meeting of the 2014 year will be held on January 29^th in the Sound Stage. Please be there by 2:50 ready to go. If you would like to become involved in X-Scream, please attend this meeting. Looking forward to seeing you there!!

- Get Animated with the Animation Club! Club meetings are held every Tuesday in K109 from 2:40pm to 3:30pm. Be sure to bring a hard drive or flash drive to save your work.

- First Priority will meet today and every Thursday in J213 after school until 3:45. Please see Mrs. Paro, Julissa Perez or Daniela Pereira for more information. Everyone is invited! See you there!

- Students! The February 15^th deadline for ads in fast approaching. Buy your ads now because there is limited space! Prices start at $200 for a full page, $125 for a half page, $75 for a quarter page, and $50 for an eighth page. Contact Mr. Weiss in J219 or Christopher Plychronnpoulos for more details.

- Students, do you want to be featured in the yearbook? Submit a picture of you and your pet to room J219 or send one to sweiss@gstarschool.org by February 1^st to be included. See Mr. Weis or Meaghan Wood if you have any questions.

- Attention all Travel Club members! If you are going on the Costa Rica trip with Ms. Fuller please report to the media center on Monday, January 27^th during lunch for a club picture. Thank you!!

- Attention all G-Star students: In order to buy a ticket for the Talent Show, you must have a TLE form filled out by your 5^th and 7^th block teachers. TLE forms are on the Student Government board in front of J107. Tickets go on sale on Thursday and Friday for a limited time – low price of $5! Ticket prices will increase to $8 next week. So fill out your TLE form and buy a ticket ASAP!               

- Seniors: If Mrs. Sammarco gave you a document requiring parent or guardian signature please bring it to her. Stop by her office if you need another copy.

- Attention Student Drivers! There will be a general meeting for all students who drive this Thursday, January 30^th during the first half of lunch in the Soundstage. All student drivers are required to come to this meeting. Imortant information will be given on this day.

- Announcement: All student filmmakers! If you like to write, create characters, design new worlds and make movies then listen up. G-Star’s film department is looking for ideas for the 2014/2015 student film. We may be wrapping production for this year’s student film, but K Building Productions is wasting no time in gearing up for next year’s production.  We will begin with a “story” brainstorming session THIS FRIDAY, January 31^st during lunch in the TV Studio. Project criteria and production timeline will be part of this meeting. A call for treatments will commence after this initial meeting. Once again, we will begin with a “story” brainstorming sessions this FRIDAY, January 31^st during lunch in the TV Studio.

- Attention Seniors: Grad Bash has been changed to Friday, April 4. We had to change the date due to Universal overbooking the Saturday that we had originally picked. We will be leaving school at 2:00 and if you are not in school that day you will not be able to attend Grad Bash. Nothing else changes, the price remains the same. We do need a minimum number of seniors to attend in order to secure the buses. Each bus must have a minimum of 50 students. Each bus will be secured separately. Example: If we have 70 students sign up, only the first 50 will be able to attend. If we have 110 students sign up, only the first 100 students will be able to attend, etc. Payment of $155.00 for Grad Bash must be paid by March 7. There will be no late payments accepted after that date. Any questions please see Mrs. Newell or Mrs. Collins.

- Attention Seniors: Herff Jones will be here on Thursday, February 6^th from 8am-12pm to measure for Caps and Gowns. They will also be accepting payments for class rings. Please sign up at the front desk if you need to be measured. Mrs. Newell will be sending the passes out on the morning of February 6th. This is the FINAL time that Herff Jones will be here to measure. If you miss this one, Mrs. Newell and Mrs. Collins will be guessing your height and cap size.

- Attention – Anyone looking for an opportunity to get involved in the theater department. The V-Day Showcase against domestic abuse will be holding auditions this Monday at lunch. Come ready for a cold reading. Student writers are encouraged to submit short pieces as well. See Kayla Brosseau or a thespian officer for more details.

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

JANUARY 22, 2014

Report Cards Were Sent Home Today!

- Students!! The February 15^th deadline for ads is fast approaching. Buy your ads now because there is limited space. Prices start at $200 for a full page, $125 for a half page, $75 for a quarter page and $50 for an eighth of a page. Contact Mr. Weiss in J219 or Christopher Polychronnpoulos for more details.

- Students, do you want to be featured in the yearbook?  Submit a picture of you and your pet to room J219 or send one to sweiss@gstarschool.org by February 1^st to be included. See Mr. Weiss or Meaghan Wood if you have any questions.

- This upcoming Tuesday, January 28, 2014. It is the first ever meeting of the G-Star Movie Club. Join us in the newly-renovated Screening Room on the northeast corner of Studio B for a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s cerebral masterpiece Vertigo. It’s a movie starring Jimmy Stewart as a private eye who becomes dangerously obsessed with a mysterious woman. Recently voted the greatest film of all time in the 2012 Sight and Sound critics poll, this is a screening you do not want to miss.

- Honor Society Bake Sale participants please meet in J210 during lunch today - Wednesday

-  Attn: G.S.A. members – The yearbook will be taking club pictures this Wednesday. Please be in Mr. Weiss’s room J219 by 3pm to be included in the yearbook photo.

- Attention all G-Star Student Government members: There is no SGA meeting today. We will meet again next Wednesday to discuss the Talent Show. Again, there is no Student Government meeting today. Talent Show auditions are today – Break a leg!!!

 

- Attention X-Scream team. Our first meeting of the 2014 year will be held on January 28^th in the Sound Stage. Please be there by 2:50 ready to go. If you would like to become involved in X-Scream, please attend this meeting. Looking forward to seeing you there!!

 

- Attention Filmmakers!! The deadline for submissions for the Palm Beach Student Showcase of Films is fast approaching. The absolute deadline is Monday, January 27^th! Any projects produced since February of last year will qualify. Simply fill out the application on-line by going to pbfilm.com. Application and submission information is posted in the K building entrance. Categories include: feature shorts, documentary, music video, commercials, PSA’s, animation, screenplay and poster design. Seniors may apply for the Burt Reynolds Scholarship. Any materials and paperwork must be submitted to Mrs. Tieche by Friday, January 24^th if you would like G-Star to drop off any submissions. Any questions please contact Mrs. Tieche.

 

 - Attention Comic-Club members! This week's hero will be the Flash!! Anyone who’s interested in the Flash is welcome to come this Friday during the first half of lunch in room J108. The more the merrier!! And remember….. Stay Marvelous!!!! 

 

- Starting Monday, January 20^th, ECO will be collecting Jeans for local underprivileged teens at the front office. Take a picture of yourself donating and enter for a chance to win a $4,000 scholarship at the idosomething.org website. So don’t miss out on doing a good deed and earning some extra cash to further your education.

 

- G-Star talent hopefuls, sign-ups are on the bulletin board across from J107 and auditions are after school this week. – Talent auditions are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and host auditions will Thursday and Friday.  Be prepared – we’ll see you there!!

 

- I.E. Benefit Show Announcement – Would you like to see some award winning performances? Make sure you come to the I.E. Benefit Show this Thursday, January 23^rd. This show is sure to be superior with scenes, songs and more!!  Tickets are five dollars and show times include an in school and an after school at 7pm. Get your tickets in the black box!!

 

- Hey G-Star Film Fanatics – Due to renovations to our screening room, we have changed the premiere date of the G-Star Movie Club to Tuesday, January 28^th. We will be watching the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece Vertigo, which was recently voted the greatest film of all time by Sight and Sound. You definitely don’t want to miss this.

 

- Due to FCAT writes, diagnostic testing will take place Monday the 27^th. Teachers – please check your email for a testing schedule from Ms. Seifer.

 

- Get Animated with the Animation Club! Club meetings are held every Tuesday in K109 from 2:40pm to 3:30pm. Be sure to bring a hard drive or flash drive to save your work.

 

- First Priority will meet today and every Thursday in J213 after school until 3:45. Please see Mrs. Paro, Julissa Perez or Daniela Pereira for more information. Everyone is invited! See you there!

 

- 1/21 This week the G-Star GSA is promoting No Name-Calling Week. Today, they would like you to think about how often you insult people. How do you think it makes them feel and how do you feel when it happen to you? Today’s challenge is to refrain from name-calling. In the words of Richard Simmons, “Everyone in this world is somehow connected. So why not just be nice to everybody.”

 

- 1/22 Today is Day 2 of No Name-Calling Week. Yesterday, the G.S.A challenged you to avoid insults and insensitive comments. Hopefully you were successful. Today’s challenge is to pay a compliment to someone you don’t know. Have fun with it! In the words of the 14^th Dalai Lama: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

 

- 1/23 Today is Day 3 of No Name-Calling Week. Yesterday, we challenged you to compliment a stranger. Did you give it a try? How did it feel? The challenge today is to commit a random act of kindness. For example, hold the door open for someone, don’t block traffic in the hallway or help someone if they drop their books. In the words of Aesop: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

- 1/24 Today is the final day of No Name-Calling Week. The G.S.A. hopes this event has made you more aware of the things you say and the impact they have on others. Our final challenge to you is to carry on being kind to yourself and those around you. Remember, in the words of Jesse Jackson, “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.”

 

 

 

 

G-STAR WELCOMES BARRY MANILOW!

If you drive your student to school each day this week you will see several huge 18-wheeler tractor trailer trucks parked on our school grounds.  That’s because famous recording artist, singer and entertainer, Barry Manilow, is “in the house” at our G-Star Studios.  Mr. Manilow is rehearsing and shooting video for his Barry Manilow 2014 American Tour.  They are loading in the entire stage show into our Sound Stage 1.  Known for such towering hits "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", “Tryin' to Get the Feeling”, “This One's for You”, “Even Now” and "Copacabana (At the Copa)", it is a little known fact that early in his career Mr. Manilow was a jingle writer and performer.  His jingles (that he performed) included State Farm Insurance ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there..."), and Band-Aid ("I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!"), for which he adopted a childlike voice, and the famed McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today" campaign. 

Ten of our G-Star students are working with Mr. Manilow and his crew, learning video production and theatrical staging from the professional crew as well as the director and producers.  We’re very proud of our students who were nominated for the crew to work on the show by their teachers.  Our students have stepped once again into the professional world and have proven themselves to be top-quality crew members.  They are:

Evan Ocepek

Chris Flemming
Dale Peters
Lauren Jefferies
Cheyanne Thompson
Luka Borcher
Brianna Nilsen
Isaiah Foster
Hannah Krupp
Sage Pacetti

Congratulations to you all!

ANNOUNCEMENTS
JANUARY 13, 2014
- If you have not turned in Senior T-Shirt order form, please do so by January 31st. If not Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Newell will quess your size. (
- Are you bored? Come to Anime Club. Have fun, talk Anime, be yourself. It will be in Mr. Kingwell’s room (A113). The meetings will be on Tuesdays during the first half of lunch. The club’s first meeting will be on January 14, 2014. Come!!
- Attention States attendees! Health forms were due last Friday – please get them in as soon as possible. Your next payment of $100 is due this Friday. See an acting teacher with any questions.
- Walking Club will meet this Wednesday from 2:50 to 3:30.
- Auditions for the Spring Show Shipwrecked! An Entertainment are on Wednesday, January 15th at 3pm. Please have prepared a one minute monologue preferable one that tells a compelling story or improvise your own one minute story. Bring your joy of storytelling and active imagination; signups are on the call board in the black box. Hope to see you there!!
- Do you have a special talent? Have you always dreamt of hosting a show? Well, now is your chance! G-Stars Student Government’s annual talent show is coming up. Auditions for performers and hosts will be held next week. Audition sheets for performers and hosts are on the Student Government board in front of room J107. Performers and hosts must come prepared with any music or items needed. Good luck and don’t forget to sign up!!

- Attention X-Scream team. Meetings will resume the week of January 21st. Please stay tuned to the announcements and the Facebook page for the official date. Hope you had a good break, and look forward to seeing you ther.

- Attention Filmmakers!! The deadline for submissions for the Palm Beach Student Showcase of Films is fast approaching. The absolute deadline is Monday, January 27th! Any projects produced since February of last year will qualify. Simply fill out the application on-line by going to pbfilm.com. Application and submission information is posted in the K building entrance. Categories include: feature shorts, documentary, music video, commercials, PSA’s, animation, screenplay and poster design. Seniors may apply for the Burt Reynolds Scholarship. Any materials and paperwork must be submitted to Mrs. Tieche by Friday, January 24th if you would like G-Star to drop off any submissions. Any questions please contact Mrs. Tieche.


 - NHS Meeting Scheduled for afterschool today, January 13th has been cancelled. An announcement when we will meet.

MONDAY, January 13th, IS AN EVEN DAY, not an odd day.  The School calendar has not been updated since we missed a whole day on Friday due to the flooding caused by the rain. See you on Monday!

January 10, 2014
 G-Star always follows Palm Beach County School Board directives for inclement weather. If Palm Beach County schools are closed G Star School of the Arts is closed. Please follow any instructions on the Palm Beach County website or your local news channel concerning Palm Beach County Schools closing.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014.  Over 29,000 views of our Newsblog since September 2013.

Welcome back for the New Year!  It is going to be a great one!  We are extremely proud of our first semester student performance with a spectacular 44% of our students with a 3.5 GPA and above and 22% of our students with a 4.0 GPA and above.  This means that we most likely will climb higher than the honor the Washington Post gave G-Star in 2013 ranking us academically in the top 1.4% of all high schools in the nation (there are 37,000 high schools in the USA).   Of course, we are once again rated an “A” school and designated a “High Performing School” by the Florida Department of Education.  One top of that, we are the only “A” rated charter high school in Palm Beach County!  We have one other amazing statistic we’d like to share with you - that is we have the highest graduation rate of any public high school or charter high school in the County for at-risk and disadvantaged students.  Our faculty is second to no one.  Our entire staff is the hardest working, most dedicated group of people in education today.  Our students are in good hands and we are proud of that.  We all look forward to another great year!